Description

ST CUTHBERT WITHOUT
NY 45 SW
8/41 Newbiggin Hall

14. 9.54
II*

House incorporating medieval tower house. C14 for the Priory of St Mary's,
Carlisle, with c1690 facade and early C19 additions. Red sandstone ashlar walls
with white freestone dressings, graduated slate roof and 4 ashlar ridge chimney
stacks, 2½ storeys, 7 bays: large rectangular tower approximately 8.3 metres
wide by 19.5 metres long with walls 2 metres thick, encased entirely within the
later house, but front wall for full length and one and a half storeys high, is
original building. Entrance has freestone moulded surround, with moulded
entablature, swan neck pediment and scrolled console brackets. Ground floor
tripartite windows, with red sandstone moulded surrounds, swan neck pediments
and scrolled console brackets on pilaster strips, probably date from early C19.
String course to first floor and raised panel joining central upstairs window to
entrance: first floor windows with c1690 freestone moulded surrounds, central
window with scrolled console brackets. Raised quoins to first floor, chamfered
plinth course of original tower can also be seen on side wall and internally,
now forming dividing wall between rooms. Moulded cornice, prominent cast-iron
gutter, one gable with plain coping the other crow-stepped with pinnacles to
front and back: chimney stacks have drip moulds and cornice. Sash windows with
glazing bars and oak iron-studded door with leaded fanlight. 2 extensions of 2
storeys, 2 bays, to left, of coursed sandstone rubble, have plain surrounds to
entrances and windows: slate roof and brick chimney stacks, early C19 sash
windows with glazing bars, plank doors. Facade has terrace wall of 3 courses of
red sandstone ashlar, with steps to entrance. Internal features include vaulted
2-chamber cellar, beneath entrance hall: medieval barrel vaulting to entrance
hall, with oval early C19 staircase and rib-vaulted plasterwork to ceiling and
staircase arch. Medieval vaulting continues in principal room left, which has
oak dado panelling and plaster ceiling of c1930 by Harrods of London, for the
Carr family, fireplace has C16 re-used lintel stone found in the garden and
inserted in 1982, with wood panelling above, from Eaton Hall, Cheshire, inserted
at same date: remnant of internal spiral staircase with re-moulded entrance
arch. Evidence on left of entrance of filled arch, now window and third storey
small filled window in gable. Country retreat and grange of the Priors of St
Marys, converted to country house c1690 (see Thomas Denton, Manuscript History
of Cumberland) and sold by the Church Commissioners in the early 1920's.
Probably by Thomas Machell, with stonework probably by Edward Addison. Pevsner
(Buildings of England, Cumberland section), wrongly dates facade to c1720.

Listing NGR: NY4330350858

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17541736

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House